Auto Accident Injuries

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Our experienced staffs could offer you advices on proper procedures in the aftermath of an Auto accident to inform you about your rights and benefits and how to begin your rehabilitation.

Reasons Why You Should Be Examined Immediately After an Auto Accident:

You may have underlying injuries and not know it. Many auto injuries will not heal on their own or prevent future complications without early treatment.

Some injuries such as whiplash usually may not show any pain or discomfort symptoms for days or even weeks later. The longer treatment is delayed, the longer it takes to heal and more treatments are required. Time treatment can be most effective if care is given in the first 72 hours after an accident.

Untreated soft tissue injuries can become permanent, leaving scar tissue in the muscle. This condition can limit your range of motion.

You may have an injury even though the auto accident occurred at lower speed, and/or your car does not show much damage.

Getting prompt medical treatment after an accident supports your claim and helps preserve your rights during any subsequent dispute or legal matter with another driver or insurance provider.

You do not need to have health insurance or authorization from a medical doctor or auto insurance carrier to get treatment. All auto insurance policies in Oregon include a mandatory personal injury protection (PIP) that covers your medical bills related to the accident for up to two years and $15,000. It allows drivers and passengers, regardless of who caused the accident, to receive medical services. PIP also covers your wage loss and loss of essential services. Call us for more details.

If our examination indicated that you are not injured, you can have a peace of mind knowing that you were checked out by a Chiropractic Physician who specializes in auto/personal injuries.

Importance to Determine the Mechanism of Injury

Chiropractic physician are very adept at determining location and severity of auto injuries. During the initial visit, it is common for the doctor to ask you specific questions about how you were injured. Knowing the force of an event, body positioning and history of previously existing injuries play key roles in the patient's injuries. Following the interview, it is common for a doctor to make short list of most likely diagnoses based on subjective information alone, this is called a differential diagnosis.

A chiropractor uses a number of active and passive physical exam procedures to determine the region that is injured and the nature of the injury. Knowing the mechanism of the injury helps guide a more in depth examination of likely injured areas. Appropriate treatment options are explored based on the severity and the nature of the injuries. It's common for a chiropractor to use a conservative approach when the patient is dealing with acute pain following a motor vehicle accident.

Many insurance companies compare the subjective account of the patient's accident to the mechanism of injury to determine consistency in order to authorize medical bill payment. The physical exam can provide more evidence that there is indeed an injury present. Our chiropractor and experienced staffs can help guide you through the insurance claim process, if needed.

Our chiropractors in SE Portland and Aloha-Beaverton can detect whiplash and other underlying injuries before symptoms appear. We would make an assessment of your injuries and prescribe a treatment plan for the care you need. If you have been injured from an auto accident and can’t wait to see a physician, we can provide same day appointment, urgent care services 7 days a week. Call us today at (503) 206-8863 for Portland, or (503) 992-6080 for Beaverton-Aloha, OR.

Neck and Back Curves & Auto Collission

There are normal curves in the neck and low back called lordosis that help provide flexibility to the spine. Following an auto accident, these curves can flatten out due to injury to ligaments of the spine. Flattening out of these curves helps to reduce shear forces, which can lead to sliding of the bones with reduced ligament support.

However, this can lead to problems as the benefits of the lordosis in the neck and low back are lost when the neck and back curves flatten. These lordosis normally reduce the muscle effort required to hold the body upright, as well as cushion the spine from impact during activities. When the lordotic curves of the neck and back flatten out and decrease, the center of body mass moves forward. To keep your body upright and in balance, the muscles of the back work harder and this results in increased compressive force on the discs of the spine.

The increased contraction and effort of the muscles contributes to tightness and muscle pain following an auto accident. The increased force on the discs can lead to early wear and arthritis if unaddressed. This also often lead to other chronic spinal conditions and pain in other parts of the body, and you will become accustomed to poor posture.

Fortunately, there are Chiropractors who specialize in treating auto injuries. At Accident & Wellness Chiropractic in Aloha and Portland, OR, we treat this condition to relieve pain, restore mobility, strengthen muscles to improve stability, and restore correct posture, without the invasiveness. If you have an injury, call us today!

Numbness & Tingling After Auto Accidents

Numbness and tingling is a common problem after auto accidents. Many people worry about nerve compression when numbness and tingling occur, but much of the time there are other less severe causes. Most cases of numbness result from tightness and injury to muscles. When muscles become very tight, they can produce sensations of numbness, tingling, as well as burning. This can get severe enough to affect the sensation of light touch. However, numbness and tingling from muscle tightness does not usually affect the sensation of sharp, whereas it is much more common for nerve problems to do so.

Nerve injuries commonly produce sensations of numbness, tingling, pain, and electrical sensation. More severe nerve injuries can result in muscle weakness and loss of sensation with testing.

Nerve compression can occur where the nerve exits the spine in an area called the intervertebral foramen (IVF). Numbness from this type of nerve compression typically presents in a particular pattern over the body called dermatomes. Numbness from nerve compression does not usually cover many dermatomes at the same time, whereas numbness and tingling from muscle tightness is often in vague varying locations. Additionally, numbness and pain from muscle tightness can refer symptoms to other areas away from the tight and irritated muscle.

The central nerve cord can become compressed within the spine as well after auto collisions. Compression of the central cord of the spine can produce muscle weakness with spasms. This condition can result from disc herniations that press back into the central canal of the spine. However, large central disc herniations are less common than posterolateral disc herniations that can produce IVF compression as a large ligament called the posterior longitudinal ligament is directly behind the vertebral bodies providing support to the back of the spinal discs. When the disc herniates posteriorly into the central canal of the spine, this narrows the space for the spinal cord and can cause a compression of the cord. In many cases of cord compression preexisting bone spurs have narrowed the space for the spinal cord but may not have pressed on the cord by themselves.

A nerve can become compressed and irritated by tight muscles outside of the spine. In this case, excessive muscle tightness compresses a nerve and can cause nerve symptoms as well as symptoms of muscle tightness. This condition responds well to massage and manipulation.

Although tingling is often due to muscle tightness and injury, severe auto accidents can cause injury to nerves as well. Contact your Chiropractor if you have tingling, numbness, or pain after an auto accident.